Blueberry Cardamom Spice Cake

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour (plus 1 tablespoon to toss with blueberries)

1 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups fresh or thawed frozen blueberries, well-drained

Powdered sugar, and additional blueberries, if desired, or see sugar glaze recipe below

Heat oven to 350° F.  Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt or tube pan.

Combine butter, sugar, and brown sugar in bowl.  Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.  Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add all remaining ingredients except blueberries and powdered sugar.  Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.  Toss 1 1/2 cups blueberries with remaining 1 tablespoon flour; gently stir into batter.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.  Bake 45-55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 15 minutes in pan; remove from pan.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and garnish with additional blueberries, if desired – or top with sugar glaze.

Serves 12.

From Land O’Lakes website

Sugar Glaze

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sieved to remove any lumps

3 to 4 tablespoons milk or water

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)

Place the sugar in a medium bowl, and slowly stir in the milk and vanilla, a little at a time, to make a smooth, pourable glaze.  Drizzle on top of cake.

Vanilla, Chocolate, and Coffee Cake

Vanilla batter

6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/3 cups (262 grams) sugar

3 tablespoons (35 grams) vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large egg whites

1 large egg

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups (241 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup (227 grams) full-fat plain yogurt

Chocolate batter

1 1/4 cups (149 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (32 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon espresso powder

3/4 cup (149 grams) sugar

4 tablespoons (1/4 cup or 57 grams) unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons (25 grams) vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup (113 grams) milk, at room temperature

1/4 cup (57 grams) brewed coffee

2 large eggs

Coffee soak

1/2 cup (99 grams) sugar

3/4 cup brewed coffee or espresso

Whipped Cream Frosting

Heat the oven to 350° F. Grease and flour three 8" round cake pans.

To make the vanilla batter: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, vegetable oil, baking powder, and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites, whole egg, and vanilla.  With the mixer running at medium-low speed, slowly add the egg mixture to the butter/sugar mixture.

Add the flour alternately with the yogurt, beginning and ending with the flour.  Scrape down the bowl and mix for another 30 seconds.  Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.

For the chocolate batter: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa, expresso powder, and sugar.  Add the butter and beat at medium speed until the mixture looks sandy.  Mix in the vegetable oil and vanilla.

Combine the milk with the coffee and add gradually, with the mixer running at low speed.  Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 1 minute.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.  Scrape the bowl, then beat for 30 seconds more.

Scoop the batter in a random pattern into each of the three pans until all is used.  Using a table knife or spatula, swirl the chocolate batter through the vanilla very lightly, taking two or three turns through each pan.

Place the layers on the center rack of the oven and bake for 24 to 26 minutes, until they just begin to pull away from the side of the pan and the top springs back when lightly touched.  Remove from the oven and cool completely on a rack, still in the pans.

To make the coffee soak: In a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine the sugar and coffee, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.  Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.

Turn the cake layers out of their pans and place them right side up.  If the layers have a dome on the top, use a long, serrated knife to trim them level.  Brush the trimmed side with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the coffee soak, then flip one of the layers over, trimmed side down, onto a serving plate.  Brush the other side of the layer with more of the soak, and once it's absorbed, spread a 3/8"-thick layer of the whipped cream frosting over it.  Repeat the trimming and soaking process with the second layer, placing it over the first.  Frost the top of that layer with whipped cream frosting.  Trim, soak, and place the last layer on top of the cake.  Frost with remaining whipped cream frosting.

Store the cake in the refrigerator until 30 minutes before you wish to serve it. Place plastic wrap on any cut edges of leftover cake, and refrigerate for up to 1 week.  

From King Arthur Flour with changes

Flaxseed Crackers

1/2 cup flaxseed

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground coarse back pepper

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 cup low fat milk

4 tablespoons canola oil

Heat oven to 375° F.

In a medium bowl, mix flaxseed, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and oregano.  In a separate container, mix milk and oil.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix by hand until a dough is formed.

Roll out between two sheets of wax paper to 9×18 inches. Cut into 36 pieces by cutting into two 9×9-inch sheets and cutting 18 strips out of each sheet. They should be between 1/16 and 1/8 inch thick.

Twist each one and place on ungreased sheet pan and bake 10 minutes. Remove and turn each one over and bake for another ten minutes.

Let cool on pans.

May be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Makes 36.

From A Family Feast website

Honey-Oat Pain de Mie

4 1/2 cups (541 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

1 1/2 cups (127 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats               `              

2 1/4 teaspoons salt

6 tablespoons (85 grams) melted butter

5 tablespoons (96 grams) honey

1 1/2 cups to 1 3/4 cups (340 to 382 grams) lukewarm water (use the smaller amount in the summer, or in a humid climate; the larger in winter, or in a drier climate)

Combine all of the ingredients, and mix until cohesive.  Cover the bowl, and let the dough rest for 20 minutes, to give the oats a chance to absorb some of the liquid.  Then knead — by hand, stand mixer, or bread machine — to make a smooth, soft, elastic dough.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, and let it rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until it's risen noticeably.  It won't necessarily double in bulk.  Gently deflate the dough, and shape it into a 13" log.  Place the log in a lightly greased 13" pain de mie (pullman) pan, pressing it gently to flatten.

Place the lid on the pan (or cover with plastic wrap, for a better view), and let the dough rise until it's about 1" below the top of the pan/lid, 60 to 90 minutes.  Towards the end of the rising time, heat the oven to 350°F.

Remove the plastic (if you've used it), slide the pan's lid completely closed, and bake the bread for 35 minutes.

Remove the lid, and bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers at least 190°F.

Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack. Run a stick of butter over the top, if desired; this will yield a soft, buttery crust.  Cool completely before cutting; wrap airtight and store for several days at room temperature.

Makes one loaf.

From King Arthur Flour